Vacuum cleaners incorporating a filter bag for separating dirt and debris from an air stream drawn into a vacuum cleaner are well known in the art. Such systems have been utilized for canister, upright and hand-held vacuum cleaners.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,369 to Stewart, Sr. et al. discloses a canister vacuum cleaner equipped with a bag mount that is pivotally connected to the canister housing and holds a bag in a cavity in that housing. The bag mount includes a plate-like body member including a suction inlet opening and carries a bag receiver including cooperating opposed channels. The bag mount also includes opposed pivot posts for pivotally connecting the bag mount to the canister vacuum cleaner housing.
While the bag mount of the Stewart, Sr. et al. patent very efficiently and effectively holds a filter bag in the vacuum cleaner, it must be appreciated that the operator must actually handle and touch the dirty bag when removing a used bag from the bag mount. The present invention represents a significant advance in the art in that it allows the used bag to be removed and changed without the vacuum cleaner operator actually having to physically touch the bag.